Brownback shifting timetable, blame on tax cuts

Brownback

Brownback

When Gov. Sam Brownback approved large state income tax cuts in 2012, he said that his pro-growth tax policy would “be like a shot of adrenaline into the heart of the Kansas economy.” His economic consultant, Arthur Laffer, said that cutting income taxes would have a “near immediate impact.” But as Kansas’ economy has continued to struggle, trailing most neighboring states (which didn’t cut their taxes), Brownback has shifted his message and timetable. He now says that Kansas is “well-positioned for growth” and argues that “tax policy takes some time for it to work.” And he accuses “the left” of being desperate. “They just want to get me electorally before we get on through this and prove that this is working,” he told the Christian Broadcasting Network. – Phillip Brownlee

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As the governor, a skilled legislative veteran, prepared to deliver Kansas’ State of the State address, the multiple demands for state funding loomed large. The Supreme Court had mandated substantial additional monies for a critical state function. The highway fund was scraping bottom, placing Kansas’ reputation for excellent roads at risk. Moreover, the governor faced the implications of federal tax laws changes, which provided the state with so-called windfall revenue at the expense of taxpayers.